Environment

This home is located in the foothills of Spanish Fork. It's enclosed by a
wonderful native bigtooth maple and scrub oak forest. In order to
harmonize with the local environment while keeping it under control, the
owners chose to border the native stands with 8" of steel edging and then
plant their living area with a variety of xeric plants, many of them occurring
naturally in the surrounding forest . By using native rocks and a covering
of organic mulch, the landscapes blends seamlessly with its surroundings
and preserves the look and feel that originally caused the owners to

choose this place to live.

A variety of seed and berry-producing plants provide food for the birds
and squirrels throughout the year; low growing evergreen shrubs and large
trees provide shelter; native shrubs provide food for the deer (although
they still prefer euonymous); a large variety of flowering shrubs and
perennials attract bees, butterflies and even bats. And the owner is
rewarded with free entertainment throughout the year.

Here's another example of a home, this time in the upper East Bench of Salt Lake City,
that is lucky enough to be surrounded by native oaks and maples. The original
landscape was the traditional huge lawn, extending in some places down into the oak
forest. The lawn was a water hog and it was almost impossible to mow.

By removing all the unused lawn, leaving play areas for the kids, and planting the new
beds with native and non-native xeric plants, the landscape not only saves water and
maintenance time, but also fits gracefully into its surroundings.

When you live in the foothills, you have to get used to the native fauna
wanting to share your yard with you. After all, they were here first! In this
case, the owner chose to join them rather than fight them and installed a
'critter-friendly' landscape.